Boat carrier



April 1961 B. A. BARKER 2,978,257

' BOAT CARRIER Filed June 24, 1958 FIG. 1

IN VENTOR.

%% mmvgm United States Patent BOAT CARRIER Benedict A. Barker, :03 w. 56th St., Seattle, Wash. Filed June 24, 1958, Ser. No. 744,135

2 Claims; 01. 280-179) This invention relates to supporting attachments for boats, and more particularly to a boat carrier adapted to be engaged beneathv the. keel of a boat to support the same for transportation over diflicult terrain or other areas, the attachment being arranged so that the boat may be moved by asingle person, if necessary.

A main object of the invention-is to provide a novel and improved boat carrier which. is simple in construcson, if so desired;

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved boat carrier which is inexpensive to fabricate, which is durable in construction, and which enables a person employing same to move a boat to have complete control over the movement of the boat at all times.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description and la-ims, and from the accompanying drawings, wherein:

on an improved carrier according to the present invenc'tion.

Figure 2 is a top view of the boat illustrated in Fig- Figure 3 is a front end view of the boat mounted on he carrier, as shown in Figures 1 and 2.

Figure 4 is an enlarged side elevational View of the at carrier employed in Figures 1, 2 and 3." Figure 5 is a fragmentary front elevational view of carrier illustrated in Figure 4.

hook members employed 'inthe boat carrier of Figures l to 5, showing the attachment thereto of the associated tie" members. I p a Referring to the drawings, 11 generally designates a boat carrier according to this invention. The boat carrier 11 comprisesa channel-shaped member 12 of substantial length, said channel-shaped member being pro.-

vided withvertical side walls and with respective horizontallyextending outwardly directed '14 formed on the top edges'of said side walls, and be- 7 ing adapted to engage beneath and receive the keel 14 [of a small boat with saidhorizontal side flanges supportingly engaging the portions of the bottornof the boat located adjacent and on opposite sides Rigidly secured to the, side walls of thechannel member 12 and depending vertically therefrom are the respective generally triangular bracket plates 15 and 16,

- .said bracket plates being identical in shape and being of isosceles triangles, as illus preferably in the f0rrn ttated] The top margins of the plates 15 and 16 are preferably cut so as to be identical in length with the channel member Extending throughaand secured to the bottom apex f,

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of a boat mounted I wheel and the bracket plate 16. The brake means 20 is of conventional construction and includes a supporting plate portion which is rigidly secured-to the plate .16,

The brake assembly 20 is provided with anoperating cable 22 which extends through a suitable aperture pro"-- vided therefor in the bracket plate 16 and which is slidab-ly secured to said bracket plate. by a guidelloop 23 provided on the bracket plate and receiving the cable; As shown in Figure 4, the guide loop 23 is located-adjacent the. rear edge 24 of the bracket plate. 16;

Secured to the opposite ends of the axle-18 are the respective eye loops 25 and 26, and connected to said eye loops are respective adjustable cable members 27 and 28, said cable members being provided with the turnbuckles 29 and 30 for adjustingthe tension of the cable members. Connected to the ends of the cable members are respective hook members31 and 32-, said hook members being of substantialwidth. andbeingengageable on the upper sideedge portions of a small boat 37 mounted on the carrier as will be presently described.

As shown in Figure. 6, each of the hook members 31 and 32 includes a dependingarm portion34 and an upper arm portion 35, the depending arm portion 34 being provided with an eye loop 36 and the upper arm portion 35 being provided with an eye loop 38. An adjustable cable member 39 connects the loops 38 of the respective hook members 31 and 32, the cable member 39 being provided with a turnbuckle 40 for adjusting the tension thereof.

In using the carrier, the channel member 12 is engaged on the keel 14- of the boat 37, beingdisposed substantially beneath the midportion of the boat, preferably beneath the center of gravity thereof, so that the center of gravity of the boat is in vertical alignment with the axle 18 so that the boat will be easily balanced on the supporting wheel 19. The hook members 31 and 32 are engaged on the top portions of the respective side walls of the boat, and the respective cable members 27, 28 and 3 are tightened by means of their turnbuckles 2%, 30 and 40 so that the boat is firmly secured to the channel member 12 in the manner illustrated in Figures 1, 2

Figure 6 is an enlarged side 'elevationalview of one of side flanges 13, V

of the keel;

. wens claimed n1, 7

portions or the enerally triangular bracket plates '15.

and 3; The brake cable 22 extends rearwardly and may be engaged through a suitable eye loop 42 provided on the stern of the boat, so that the person moving the boat by means of the carrier will have complete control thereov'erbymeans of the brake cable 22. Thus, in

transporting the boat, the person holds the stern portion'of the boat and elevates the boat to a substantially horizontal position, whereby the boat may be moved on the supporting wheel 19. To control the movement'of the boat down an incline, the brake cableZZ may be employed to apply braking force on the wheel 19, so as to retard its" rotation. Similarly, in going up an incline, the wheel 19 may be at times held stationary by exerting tension on the cable 22, so as to prevent the boat slipping back down the incline.

While a specific embodiment of 'an improved boat carrier has been disclosed .in the foregoingfdescription, it will be understood that various modifications within the spirit of the invention may occur to those skilled in the art. Therefore, it is intended that nolimitationsabe placed on the invention except ,as defined' by the scope of th e 1appended'claims. p f I v 1 A.b'oatcarrie'r comprising a channel-shaped bearing"- me mber engageable beneath thekeelgofaboatrsaigl bearf; ing inember having vertical side walls and outwardly ex,

Patented Apr-.4, 1961 tending horizontal flanges of substantial area formed on the top edges of said side walls, said flanges being supportingly engageable withfportions of the bottom of the boat located, on opposite sides. of its keel so as to transmit the Weight of the boat tov said vertical side walls, a pair of depending vertical bracket plates rigidly secured in spaced parallel relation to the outer surfaces of said side walls with their top edges abutting beneath vsaid flanges, whereby the weight of the boat is transmitted to said rigidly spaced, parallel bracket plates, a transverse axle extending through and secured to the lower portions of said bracket plates, a supporting wheel journaled on said axle between the plates, brake means operatively associated with said wheel and axle and having a flexible operating cable extending therefrom, means slidably supporting said cable adjacent one of said plates, respective flexible tie members secured to the opposite ends of said axle, respective V-shaped rigid hock members pivotally connected to the ends of said tie members and being engageable at their vertices on the opposite upper side edge portions of a boat engaged on said channel-shaped member, and an additional flexible tie member connecting said hook membersand extending transversely therebetween.

2. A boat carrier comprising a bearing member shaped to engage beneath the keel of a boat, said bearing member having outwardly extending supporting portions engageable with portions of the bottom of the boat located on opposite sides of its keel so as to transmit the weight of the boat to said bearing member, a

pair of depending vertical bracket plates rigidly secured in spaced parallel relation to the outer surfaces of said bearing member with their 'top edges abutting beneath said supporting portions, whereby the weight of the boat is transmitted to said rigidly spaced parallel bracket plates, a transverse axle extending through and secured to the lower portions of said bracket plates, a supporting wheel journaled on said axle between the plates, brake means operatively associated with said wheel and axle and having a flexible operating cab-1e extending therefrom, means slidably supporting said cable adjacent one of said plates, respective flexible tie members secured to the opposite ends of said axle, respective substantially V-shaped rigid hook members pivotally connected to the ends of the tie members and being engageable on the opposit upper side edge portions of a boat engaged on said bearing member, and an additional flexible tie member connecting said hook members and extending transversely therebetween.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

